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Configure Spybot Search and Destroy

Last modified: 2011-12-25 12:25:59 EET

After installing Spybot starts by loading itself - this might take some time.

If you do not yet have Spybot Search & Destroy open, open Start menu, click All Programs, Spybot - Search & Destroy and then click Spybot - Search & Destroy. Windows Vista and 7 users should right-click the last item instead, select Run as administrator and then click Continue or Yes in User Account Control warning window.

Please close all open Internet browsers (Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox, Apple Safari, Google Chrome, Opera) now.

If you have an Internet browser open, you might see this warning message. Click OK after you close the browser.

Spybot might say that you have loads of files in your temporary folder and that it is better to delete them. Click Delete there then.

For first-time runners, the legal stuff dialog opens, check the Don't show this message again box and click OK. If you want to move right on to the configuring part, click here.

Next, a setup wizard opens. We will not use it now, so click Next through following screens. Windows Vista and 7 users will see just a few of them.
  

In the final step of the wizard, click Start using the program.

Configuring and automating Spybot Search & Destroy

First, let's make sure that the program is updated and your computer is clean also in the future.

Open Mode menu and choose Advanced mode from there.

You'll get this lovely protective warning, click Yes there.

In the bottom of left column, you'll see three new tabs. Click on Settings to open it.

Click Settings button under Settings tab (I love the sound of it ).

Scroll down until you find check box Create system restore point when fixing system internals (Win XP only). Select it if you're using Windows XP, Vista or 7. If not, ignore it.

Further down, find Immunize on program start if program has been updated. Select it.  Immunization creates special entries in Windows Registry, browser settings and a special Windows file named "hosts" and those entries passively block myriad of malicious web sites. Remember, automatic immunization makes Spybot - Search & Destroy start longer, because it has to change your computer settings. Also, close all your Internet browsers (Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox, Apple Safari, Google Chrome, Opera, etc) before starting Spybot - Search & Destroy next time, for browser settings are a part of immunization process and immunization cannot be completed while browser is open.
Automatic immunization is best for fully automated scanning and updating. This is exactly what we are accomplishing here.

Click Directories tab in the left column. Here you can add the folders you download files from the Internet to. In Windows Vista and 7, you have a dedicated Downloads folder for this. In Windows XP, you can create one. Also add download folders for your P2P programs (eMule, eDonkey, BitTorrent, Soulseek, etc) and unpacking programs (WinZip, WinRar, etc).
Why is this necessary? Because Spybot - Search & Destroy scans only those folders where malware typically hides - there is no option to scan all folders. As downloaded files might be infected with malware, you should definitely add your download folders/directories.
Right-click in the Download directory column and select Add a directory to this list.

A common Browse for Folder dialog opens, find and click the folder you want to add. Then click OK.

Remember to repeat the process until all your download folders have been added (in case you have more than one)!

Next, select Scheduler from the left column.

This is where automation takes place. Spybot issues updates each Wednesday, so we schedule a weekly update by clicking on Add (Updater)... button.

Next, click on Edit (Updater) button:

Spybot will open Windows standard Scheduled Task dialog. Choose Schedule tab from above and click the New button.

Under "Start time:" enter a time when your computer is most probably turned on every day and connected to the Internet. Set the schedule interval to Weekly and select Wednesday for the day of the week. Then click OK to close the scheduler.

If you have no password specified for your Windows account, you will see the password prompt. Leave both password fields empty and click OK.

This will result in an error message 0x8007052f about attempting to set task account information. You can safely ignore the message, your task will run anyway.
But it is recommended to set a password for your Windows account. Read about doing this in Windows XP or in Windows Vista or 7.

Please note that in Windows Vista and 7, Spybot - Search & Destroy updater might pop up a message stating "Please select some update files from the list first".

This means that there were no updates available, you can safely click OK.

Next, we'll automate scanning for malware. Start by clicking Add button.

Select both Fix problems after scheduled scan and Close program after finishing schedule.

Next, click on Edit button to schedule the scan:

Again, choose Schedule tab and click New button:

It is best to choose two days of week for the scan to occur. If you leave your computer turned on for nights, choose a time when you're probably asleep or away from your computer. If you turn your computer off for nights, choose a time when you're most probably using it and have connection to the Internet.
Choose Weekly from "Schedule Task", set a time for the scan to occur and select two days of week. Then click OK button:

Again, users with blank passwords might encounter the 0x8007052f (Logon failure) error here. You can still ignore it safely - this will not prevent the task from running.

You're now done automating Spybot Search & Destroy!

Searching for remaining updates

If this is the first time you've run Spybot Search & Destroy, or the first time you've automated it via turning on scheduled scanning and updating, it is now time to search for remaining updates.
If you're not on Spybot-S&D tab yet, click on it:

As you're done with the configuring and automating part, you can safely put Spybot back into Default mode by opening Mode menu and choosing Default mode.

Click Search for Updates button:

Windows Vista and 7 users will meet another motherly protective User Account Control dialog. Click Continue or Yes.

Spybot will choose a random server to download updates from, click Continue:

Check all available updates and click Download:

In case program updates are available, Spybot Search & Destroy will be closed automatically before applying updates and black command-line windows will appear and disappear. This is normal.

If an updated immunization database was downloaded, you'll see this dialog, click OK there. As we configured before, Spybot will immunize everything at each program start.

Click Exit to close the Updater. Spybot - Search & Destroy is probably already starting by now.

If you have any Internet browser open during immunization process, you'll see a warning dialog. Close Internet Explorer or any other browser you might have running before clicking OK here:

Managing items removed by Spybot Search & Destroy

If Spybot - Search & Destroy removes malicious items, they do not really get deleted. These items get moved to a special quarantine folder instead.
As such items might take lots of disk space, it would be wise to delete them permanently once a month or so. Or you can restore some items in case you really need to.

In Spybot main window, click Spybot-S&D tab if it's not already open. Then click Recovery.
Here you can select items using check boxes. You can also right-click anywhere and click Select all items older than 30 days. This is the recommended action for cleanup.

After selecting all or some items, click Purge selected items above.

Spybot Search & Destroy will pop up a confirmation window. Click Yes.

Configuring Spybot Search and Destroy to start with administrative rights in Windows Vista and 7

As Windows Vista and 7 have User Account Control built-in, users need to start Spybot as administrators for immunization and malware removal to work. Otherwise the following error messages are displayed:
 

As long as Spybot is not configured to run with elevated rights automatically, Windows Vista and 7 users should open Start menu, type "spybot" into Search box, then right-click Spybot - Search & Destroy and select Run as administrator.

To remove the need for right-clicking each time, open Start menu and type "spybot" into Search box. Then right-click Spybot - Search & Destroy and click Properties.

In Spybot - Search & Destroy Properties window open Compatibility tab. Then check the Run this program as an administrator box in Privilege Level section below.
Close the window by clicking OK button.

That's it! 

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